Moshe’s Blog

How Chewy Turns Empathy into Profit: A Masterclass in Leading with Love

Picture this: Nancy, overwhelmed with paperwork following her husband’s sudden death, contacts the pet food company Chewy to transfer the account into her name.

Expecting just a standard confirmation email, she instead receives a beautiful bouquet of roses and a heartfelt handwritten note expressing sympathy. This isn’t just customer service; it’s customer care on steroids.

Chewy’s approach embeds genuine compassion into every interaction, turning even the simplest transactions into profound connections. Chewy puts the power of love to work with tremendous success.

This method has not only earned them a fiercely loyal customer base but also impressive financial gains. Since going public in 2019, Chewy has seen its revenue skyrocket from $4.85 billion to over $11 billion, a testament to the profitability of leading with love.

How does your company respond when a customer shares personal challenges?

Do you treat it as a burdensome transaction or an opportunity to transform the relationship?

5 Amare Steps to Elevate Your Leadership with Empathy

1. Act with intention, not just reaction. When faced with a customer’s personal plight, don’t just do the minimum. Create a list of possible action steps that show you truly care. Go all out every time.

2. Empower and educate your team. Allow your team the flexibility to go off-script. Train them not only in the nuts and bolts of your products and services, but in emotional intelligence, enabling them to handle sensitive situations with grace and autonomy.

3. Integrate customer feedback with compassion. Set up systems to actively listen to and learn from customer feedback, viewing each interaction as an opportunity to deepen relationships. Show customers how their voices contribute to shaping your organization.

4. Start from the inside. Brainstorm with your leadership team how you will demonstrate empathy and compassion for all your employees when they are having a hard time personally. Implement relentlessly.

5. Make love your brand. Embed compassion into your brand’s DNA. Chewy does this not just with flowers but through policies like encouraging customers to donate returned items to shelters and offering 24/7 support, turning each interaction into an endorsement of their values.

Examining the Financials and the Feel-Goods

Chewy’s sustained financial ascent is no fluke. It’s the result of a strategic decision to invest heavily in customer delight, recognizing that a happy customer is a repeat customer—and often an evangelist for the brand.

Their model shows that when companies treat customer service as an opportunity to deeply connect and care, the returns aren’t just emotional; they’re strikingly fiscal.

Dive into the Chewy playbook, and you may find that your next major business breakthrough comes from simple acts of kindness. Turn love into your most unexpected profit center!

Lead with the Best Version of You & Your Team

I coach and advise executives and leadership teams on being the best version of themselves, through the Amare Way of love-powered leadership. For more information, contact me here.